‘Road widening will lead to chaos in monsoon’

Though the monsoon is around the corner, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has commenced road-widening work on Jitendra Road at Malad (East) on May 25.

Though the monsoon is around the corner, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has commenced road-widening work on Jitendra Road at Malad (East) on May 25.

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Residents fear the project may lead to chaos in the area during the coming monsoon.

The BMC had announced on the first week of May that no digging permission would be given after May 15.

“No new permission has been given except for 2-3 ongoing projects by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority,” municipal commissioner Subodh Kumar said on Tuesday.

Work had started on a 200-m-long stretch of the Jitendra Road near Malad railway station last Friday. Currently, it is planned to widen the 20-feet-wide road to a width of 30 feet, and workers have started to shift the storm water drain line.

The compound walls of about five buildings and a Jain temple in the way of the proposed road widening have been demolished.

“This will definitely create chaos in the area once the monsoon arrives,” said Sanjay Trivedi, a Malad resident.

Satish Badwe chief engineer, road department said, “We have permission for four-five days to shift only the storm water drain along the road. The work will stop on June 7, so that people do not face problems.”

“Such projects are left unfinished and we have to face waterlogging during the monsoon,” said Rajesh Parmar, another Malad resident.